Coreopsis plant named ‘TNCORSG’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘TNCORSG’ characterized by daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 4 cm in diameter, inflorescences that are yellow with large dark red eyes, hardy to Zone 6, maybe lower, grass green foliage on short stems, flowering for the whole summer, a dense, mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

Latin name: Coreopsis verticillata hybrid.

Varietal denomination: ‘TNCORSG’.

Trademark designation: Sunstar™ Gold

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Coreopsis given the cultivar name ‘TNCORSG’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from a controlled breeding program to produce hardy compact Coreopsis. The new cultivar originated from a planned cross of two proprietary unnamed Coreopsis verticillata hybrid seedlings. The new cultivar of Coreopsis is an herbaceous perennial to be grown for landscape and container use in a sunny site. The trademark designation is ‘Sunstar™ Gold’

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Bengal Tiger’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,345, the new cultivar has a larger, denser habit with more crowns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new variety. These characteristics in combination distinguish Coreopsis ‘TNCORSG’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 4 cm in diameter,     -   2. inflorescences that are yellow with large dark red eyes,     -   3. hardy to Zone 6, maybe lower,     -   4. grass green foliage on short stems,     -   5. flowering for the whole summer,     -   6. a dense, mounding habit, and     -   7. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows seven-month-old Coreopsis ‘TNCORSG’ growing in the ground in the trial field in June in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of the same plants in June in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivar based on observations of nine-month-old specimens growing in the trial field in full sun in September in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 6 to 9.         -   Size.—62 cm wide and 38 cm tall to top of inflorescences.         -   Form.—Dense mound.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, stems root easily from stem cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—Ascending, well branched.         -   Size.—Grows to 34 cm tall and 6 mm wide.         -   Number of stems from the crown.—About 12.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branched, an average of 7 paired             lateral branches with secondary branches, branches are             opposite in arrangement, new lateral flowering branches are             continuously produced throughout the summer.         -   Internode length.—2 cm to 5 cm.         -   Surface.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Brown 200A at bottom 3 to 7 cm blending to Yellow             Green 147B. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Pinnately 3 to 7-parted into thread-like segments             (top leaves are linear).         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Size.—Grow to 8.5 cm wide and 8 cm long; the terminal             segment can grow to 48 mm long and 2 to 7 mm wide (usually             linear), laterals can grow to 70 mm long and 2 to 3 mm wide.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Petiole.—0 to 6 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, Green 137A.         -   Surface texture.—Sparsely pubescent on top and glabrous on             bottom side.         -   Venation.—Pinnate, visible main vein the same color as the             leaf on both sides.         -   Color.—Topside Green N137A, bottom side Green N137B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Long stalked terminal heads of daisy type             inflorescences.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 4.2 cm long, 1 mm wide, glabrous, Green             137A.         -   Size.—Grows to 4 cm wide and 8 mm deep.         -   Immature (bud).—Globular, 7 mm wide and 10 mm deep, Yellow             Green 148A, glabrous.         -   Receptacle.—Disc shaped, 2 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep, Green             148B.         -   Phyllaries.—In 2 series; first series closest to ray florets             in an area 5 mm deep and spreading 8 mm wide, 8 in number,             each 6 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, lanceolate, margin entire,             tip acute, glabrous on both sides, both sides Greyed Yellow             161A on top ½ blending to Yellow Green 138A on bottom ½;             lower series in an area 3 mm deep and 8 mm wide, 8 linear             lobes, can grow 5 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, margin entire,             tip acute, top side glandular, bottom side glabrous, both             sides Green 137A.         -   Self-cleaning.—Yes.         -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about a week on the             plant. -   Florets:     -   -   Type.—Composite.         -   Ray florets.—8 in number with no pistil or stamen, grows to             22 mm long, 8 mm wide, obovate, with the tip obtuse to 2             notched, margins entire, glabrous on both sides; topside             Greyed Purple 187A on bottom half blending to Yellow 10A on             top half, bottom side Yellow 7A on top half blending to Grey             Brown 199B with base and veins at base Greyed Purple 187A.         -   Disc.—Flat becoming rounded with maturity, 7 mm wide and             becoming 3 mm deep with maturity, Greyed Purple 187A.         -   Disc florets.—Tubular, with stamen and pistil, about 30 in             number, 7 mm long and 1 mm wide, tubular; corolla 5 mm long,             5 lobed, tube Yellow 13B, lobes Greyed Purple 187A; pistil             1, 7 mm long, ovary 2 mm long, Green Yellow 1C, style 4 mm             long, with extruding, 2-branched stigma, stigma and style             Yellow Orange 22A; stamen 5, anthers 1 mm long, Greyed Brown             N199B, pollen none.         -   Bloom period.—June through frost in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—No noticeable.         -   Seed.—None seen.         -   Fertility.—Unknown. -   Disease and pests: No pests or diseases have been observed on plants     grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. No resistances are     known. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated and described. 